


Dorks In Love

by airamcg



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon LGBTQ Character, Canon LGBTQ Female Character, Canon Queer Relationship, Dorks, Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Non-Chronological, Post-Finale, Post-Series, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 12:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3209462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airamcg/pseuds/airamcg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a series of fluffy shenanigans between our two favorite dorks</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">On The Dot</span>
</p><p>Asami had always been meticulous about scheduling. Even her dates with Korra were noted down to the exact minute. And yet, squished between 3:30-4:05 and 4:40-5:05 was an unexplained gap that Korra couldn't help wondering about.</p><p>Thirty-five minutes, unaccounted for. It was an awkward length of time that was neither too long nor too short.</p><p>Korra wasn't at all prepared for the secrets behind it.</p><p>
  <span class="u">In The Closet</span>
</p><p>Korra discovered another of Asami's secrets. </p><p>It didn't end well this time.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Sleeping Arrangements</span>
</p><p>The bed wasn't evil, no. As far as either of them knew, it didn't have any diabolical plans to destroy the peace and harmony of the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On The Dot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami had always been meticulous about scheduling. Even her dates with Korra were noted down to the exact minute. And yet, squished between 3:30-4:05 and 4:40-5:05 was an unexplained gap that Korra couldn't help wondering about.
> 
> Thirty-five minutes, unaccounted for. It was an awkward length of time that was neither too long nor too short.
> 
> Korra wasn't at all prepared for the secrets behind it.

Asami had always been meticulous about scheduling. It was practically a requirement in her line of work, with all the meetings, test drives, fundraisers, and what-have-you's that gobbled up most of her hours and she could hardly be at two places at the same time. She even had her lunch and dinner dates with the Avatar noted down to the exact minute, which Korra thought was sweet in typical business-Asami fashion. And yet, as sharp blue eyes pierced the perfectly outlined timetable that was tacked on Asami's office icebox, she couldn't help wondering about the gap between the rows 3:30-4:05 (final checks for the day; office) and 4:40-5:05 (travel time to pick up Korra).

Thirty-five minutes that were unaccounted for. It was an awkward length of time that was neither too long to warrant an all-out investigation nor too short to be dismissed as insignificant. It hadn't bothered Korra much when she first saw it on the timetable, back when they had just returned from their Spirit World getaway a few weeks ago. After all, heavens knew how long it took Asami to retouch her make up and her beautifully coiffed mane after each long day's work.

So no, Korra hadn't actually noticed the gap until the one time she decided to fly by Future Industries to pick up Asami for a change. Upon her arrival, she was greeted by an empty office and the prospect of a night on the couch for airbending dozens of documents all over the room. She awkwardly stood in the middle of the mess she created, debating the merits of cleaning it up or leaving it as it was, when she heard soft knock on the door.

"Um, M-Miss Sato? These papers need your signature A-S-A-P." The door swung open to reveal a young girl in a Future Industries uniform too big for her, hugging a thick stack of documents to her chest. She absently pushed her glasses up her nose, eyes never leaving the documents, as she rambled on. "And, um, a Miss Yang Xiao Long phoned earlier. She was asking something about the gala for next Tuesday? She said that if you would--Oh." The girl squeaked when she finally looked up, cheeks flushing pink and mouth forming into a perfect circle to match her surprise. "I'm sorry-- I didn't realize-- Um, forgive my intrusion, Avatar Korra, but is, um, Miss Sato here?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me where she went," Korra curtly answered, eyebrows furrowing. "Do you know where else she could be around this time?"

"Have you, um, checked her schedule?"

"It's four-oh-seven. She has nothing."

"Oh. _Oh._ Of course." The girl's eyes widened slightly, the dawning comprehension on her face leaving Korra even more confused.

"Do you know something?" There was no heat in her voice, but as Korra took a step forward, the other girl stepped back nervously.

"N-nothing, Miss Avatar Ma'am!" came the reply too quickly. There was a pregnant pause between them before the poor girl dashed out of the room, her voice almost shrill. "Sorry! B-back to work!"

"Hey, wait!" Korra called after her, but the girl had already disappeared from the hall. Korra shrugged and reluctantly left it at that. The girl's reaction may be strange, but it wouldn't do well to chase after her Avatar-style inside an office building over what might be nothing. Also, because it was an office building. Asami's office building. With a missing Asami.

_Where the heck could she be?_

Korra wandered through the halls, checking cubicles, meeting rooms, and powder lounges. Still no Asami. Everyone Korra asked either didn't know where their boss had disappeared off to or were too awestruck to answer her without asking for an autograph or ten. Ugly scenarios were starting to play out in Korra's head when she heard a faint but unmistakable kiai shout. Her nape prickled as her mind continued suggesting increasingly worrying possibilities about that shout, but Korra shook her head clear of them as she made her way towards the source.

Hyaa! Fwoom-fwoom! Krrsh!

The vague sounds grew louder as Korra entered a room full of boxes of old paper work from floor to ceiling. She couldn't help boggling at the sheer amount of it, but there were more pressing matters at hand. She sneaked between the stacks, searching and listening, until she found another door hidden away behind a couple of shelves. The sounds were coming from the other side. Korra tried the handle, but it was locked. Thankfully, it was metal and Korra could bend it open easily, but she opted to wait for an opportune moment if she wanted to have the element of surprise on her side. So instead, she took a peek through the keyhole.

A splotch of green and gold blurred past her narrow line of sight. Sounds of heavy footsteps bearing down on what could be training mats reached her ears. A dojo of sorts, perhaps? But why was it so out of the way? The green-gold thing passed by the hole again, a bit farther this time, enough that Korra was able to see the lower half of what it was. Or who, rather, since it seemed to be a person doing classic earthbending kata.

"Bam! Bam! Whoosh!"

_What?_

Korra relaxed from her ready stance, an eyebrow raised to the edge of her hairline. She knew that voice! A few careful metalbending punches later and the door creaked open. Soon, Korra's face started twitching as she took in the thick Earth Kingdom garb, the white and red face paint, and the golden fan-crown-with-tassels-thing. She bit on a fist to stifle her giggles, but she was sure the strain of suppressed laughter on her muscles would be too great too soon.

Inside the hidden dojo was the missing Asami Sato, wearing a life-accurate costume of Avatar Kyoshi's regalia, her face alight in child-like joy as she punched, kicked, and jumped around in different bending moves she must have picked up from watching Korra all the time. Her technique was even beautiful to watch, in Korra's opinion. She smoothly transitioned between forms with a balance of grace and power that Korra herself couldn't manage. Asami would be quite the formidable one if she had been a bender, not that she needed any more deadly skills in her repertoire. And she was going all out with the pretend-bending, with all the multicolored ribbons in her sleeves just like the actors in that Boy in the Iceberg show they watched in one of their dates.

The best part of all was the sound effects.

"Bam! Whoosh! Fwoom-fwoo--KORRA?!" Asami gasped mid-kick, her previous joyful smile replaced with mortification as she overbalanced and fell on her face. When she got back up, she was red as a tomato from her collar to the roots of her hair even under all the face paint, as if she had been caught in a compromising situation. Well, this was indeed a compromising situation. Sort of. "What are you doing here? And how did you even know where to find me?"

Korra took in a deep breath to regain her composure, exactly how she was taught by Tenzin in meditation. _Clear your mind,_ she thought, _and Do. Not. Laugh. unless you want to sleep in the couch for the next ten thousand years._ She was about to answer properly when an idea popped in her Avatar head that was just too good to pass. She was never good at controlling her impulses anyway. She cleared her throat and smirked.

"You're asking how I, Chin the Conqueror, know about the goings-about in my empire?!" she growled, pitching her voice way lower and gruffer than normal. "This ends now, Avatar Kyoshi!"

Asami's jaw dropped at the impromptu performance, but that didn't last too long. Without missing a beat, she got into a horse stance, theatrically pointed at Korra, and declared, "Leave my people alone, or I swear by your chinny chin, Chin, I will end you!"

"Never! Graaaaah!" Korra-Chin 'earthbended,' er, yanked the mat from under Avatar Kyo-Asami's feet so that she would fall on her buns. Kyo-Asami, however, deftly stepped away to the side then unleashed a volley of 'firebending' at her opponent.

"Krrsh! Krssh! Pshaw!"

Korra-Chin blocked the onslaught with the same mat before tossing it at the faux Avatar. Kyo-Asami turned on her heel to dodge the mat, then threw out even more of her 'firebending' and 'waterbending' arsenal. Mats and ribbons and various types of padding flew all over the room as the two girls re-enacted the epic battle with yelled onomatopoeias and horrible acting, all the while giggling like little kids in a pillow fight. At some point, one of Kyo-Asami's 'firebending' ribbons smacked Korra-Chin right on the kisser.

"Arrgh! You burned me beautiful beardy chin!" Korra-Chin spat the ribbon out, staggering back while clutching her mouth in a desperate attempt to maintain character. Asami, on the other hand, had already broken character and was doubled over in laughter.

"S-since when," she rasped between guffaws, "Since when did Chin sound like a pirate?"

"Arrgh! The Great and Powerful Chin is not a pirate!" Korra-Chin had somehow got ahold of a couple of punching pads and roughly 'earthbended' one at Asami. It whooshed over her head, knocking off the crown-thing and releasing her hair from its Kyoshi-do. Asami didn't seem to care enough to notice, though. She was too busy laughing her ass off. Korra mock-glared at her.

"Okay, Chin the Gr--Oof!" Another pad had hit Asami squarely on the face with a loud THWAP! It bounced off her face and fell a little ways off as she collapsed to the mats behind her.

"Ha! Headshot win!" Korra whooped, pumping her fists and flexing her arms into some macho pose victory dance. But soon, her triumph changed into worry. Asami hadn't moved or said anything since falling on the mats. Something was wrong.

"Asami, are you okay?" Korra jogged towards Asami's prone form. _Stupid, I underestimated my strength again!_ she berated herself while kneeling beside the other woman. She brushed the wavy bangs away, leaning in close to check for head injuries. Other than the uneven breathing and the pink tinge on her cheeks, nose, and forehead, Asami seemed fine. But Korra suspected there might be something else unseen-- something worse-- and was just about to go get some water for a more thorough scan when she felt something tugging around her waist.

"Uwaah!"

Before Korra knew what was happening, the world had spun around. Her back hitting the mats made her wince even if it didn't hurt, forcing her eyes shut. When she opened them again, piercing green eyes were staring into her own blue ones. Raven hair cascaded around their heads, tucking the rest of the world from view. There was a subtle movement between them, shoulders rising and falling, chests moving against each other breath by each heavy breath. Korra couldn't move. Her hands were held above her head, and her hips were snug between knees. There was no escape, but Korra wasn't sure if she wanted to escape anyway.

Asami slowly pulled away, dragging her hands over tanned forearms and triceps, until she was properly straddling Korra. Then one corner of her painted lips quirked upwards until she wore an exact mirror of Korra's own lopsided smirk.

"Kyoshi always wins!" Asami declared triumphantly, her arms raised on either side as if she was about to start flexing her biceps-- her toned-but-not-exactly-gunshow-material biceps, which couldn't be seen anyway underneath all the layers of her Earth Kingdom robes. And then she started pumping her fists in the same victory dance Korra did earlier.

"Bwahahaha! What the flameo's that, 'Sami?!"

"What?" Asami paused striking her macho poses, long enough for an indignant scowl. "You did it!"

"But, but, you look so dorky!"

"Says the bigger dork who started it." Asami prodded Korra for emphasis. Unfortunately for Korra, Asami's pointy finger jabbed her in a sensitive spot right over her ribs, causing another wave of raucous laughter. Korra tried to squirm away from the touch, but since Asami was still sitting on her, that bit of movement didn't escape Asami's notice. "Sweet Agni, the great Avatar is ticklish?"

"What?! No, I'm not!" was Korra's vehement reply. She even puckered her lips into a petulant pout for good measure. But Asami, being an inventor, engineer, and innovator in one package, was well versed with the scientific method. Yet-to-be-proven hypotheses demanded to be tested multiple times for validity.

She poked Korra's ribs again. And again. And again.

"Wahahahaha!" Korra roared in laughter, desperately struggling to get free. Asami was still straddling her hips, however, and had her firmly pinned to the ground. So the onslaught continued until Korra was a panting and writhing mess. "S-stop!"

"Not until you admit how much of a dork you are, Avatar!" Asami shot back between her own chortling.

"Nooooooo!" Another poke. "Wahahahaha! Oka--hahaha!--okay! I give!"

"I told you I always win," Asami muttered as she finally let go, an unusual amount of smugness oozing out of her. "Consider that payback for barging in on my me-time."

"Ehe, sorry about that." Korra even sounded genuinely repentant. Not that Asami could be mad at Korra for so long, especially not for something as small as this.

By the time the residual chuckles from their roleplay-slash-ticklefest died down, Asami had eased herself to curl beside Korra on the mats. Their heads were close together, nearly touching. Korra was flat on her back, one arm under Asami's head, her fingers idly playing with those soft, black curls. Asami was on her side, nose to cheek to Korra, a hand tugging on the fur pelt around Korra's waist. One leg draping over the other's, they were tangled in each other. At some point, Korra wiggled a foot and Asami couldn't help chuckling when the tip of the fur boot barely reached her ankle.

They stayed like that for some time, neither knowing for how long exactly and neither willing to be the first to get up. They silently waited for the exhaustion of too much laughing to ebb, content to listen to each other's heart beating, to feel the movement of their breathing, to give and receive small touches of affection here and there.

Something soft and warm pressed against Korra's cheek, just off the edge of her lips. She tilted her head to see Asami smiling at her, a small curl of her lips to match the soft light shining off her green eyes. Even with her mussed up hair sticking to her sweaty skin, and all the melting face paint and dripping make up, Asami never failed to be breathtaking.

"Thank you, Korra," she whispered.

"For what?"

Asami snuggled closer, rubbing her nose against a spot just under the ear. Her voice was barely audible, so small and so shy as if she were confessing to some great sin.

"For being silly with me."

In reply, Korra threaded her fingers through Asami's hair, stroking her head in an affectionate gesture. She pulled Asami closer until their noses touched, eyes fluttering close as they breathed together, lips hovering over each other's, the small distance between them easily crossed...

SLAM!

Korra instinctually sat up at the noise, or she would have if it weren't for Asami's hand on her shoulder, tugging her back into their embrace. A touch of lips on her neck convinced Korra that whatever made the noise wasn't as important as making out with the lovely woman in her arms. By the time a hand had slipped under her shirt, roaming the contours of her perfectly sculpted abs, Korra had forgotten whatever the fuss was about.

From a distance, a familiar girlish voice squeaked out apologies. "I-I'm so sorry, Miss Sato! I didn't mean to, um, slam the door."

Asami groaned, and it wasn't entirely because Korra was nibbling on her ear. She pulled away just enough to glare towards the other end of the room, where the interruption came from. Korra thought the way her brows knitted together and her lower lip jutted out was absolutely enticing. It was all she could do not to pounce at Asami into another round of kissing and rolling around the mats, but the firm hand pressing on her shoulder told her to wait.

"Stay right where you are," purred Asami, her voice taking a low and seductive tone. Korra swallowed down her urges and nodded. Then Asami pushed herself off the mats, briefly straightened her clothes, and headed towards her assistant. Korra rolled to her side to watch Asami sashay away, her luxurious curls swaying in time with her hips. The supposedly professional voice sounded clipped as Asami addressed the young assistant, "What is it, Yuriko?"

"It's, um, exactly four-forty and you told me to tell you about the, um, well, um..." Yuriko trailed off when she slowly took notice of her boss's glazed eyes, smudged lipstick, crossed arms, and disheveled clothes. As if prompted, her eyes drifted towards the direction Asami came from, spotting an equally disheveled Avatar lazily watching them from the mats. The mats of the Top-Secret-Never-Tell-Anyone gym Asami Sato had set up for her No-Interruptions-Whatsoever period that no one was supposed to know about. Yuriko blanched and started to shake. "I-I didn't t-tell the Avatar about this place, I swear!"

"I'm not mad, Yuriko. Calm down." Asami smiled her winsome assuring smile that had captured the hearts of thousands. Yuriko didn't look convinced, however. She clutched and wrung her oversized uniform, all the while glancing surreptitiously between Asami and Korra, then towards the door. When Asami noticed her usual charm wasn't working, she simply sighed and said, "You know what, why don't you take the rest of the day? You deserve a little break."

"Um, um, oh-kay?" Yuriko risked one more hesitant glance at Korra before she shakily bowed. "T-tomorrow then, Miss Sato."

And then she was gone.

Asami closed the door with a loud 'click' of the lock.

"Is your assistant always that much of a nervous wreck?" asked Korra, wrapping her arms around Asami's waist. She had gotten up a little before Yuriko left and had sneaked up behind Asami while she was distracted.

"She's fun to watch like that." Asami threaded her fingers between Korra's, leaning back against Korra's sturdy frame. "Kinda reminds me of you, actually."

Korra barked out a laugh, before spinning Asami around so she could plant a kiss on her nose.

"You sure have strange hobbies, Sato."

"A closetful of them, darling." Asami smirked, a finger tracing small circles just below Korra's navel. "Now where were we?"

 

 

**END.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to the nee-chans at /u/ who prompted stuff for this one.


	2. In the Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra discovered another of Asami's secrets.
> 
> It didn't end well.

_"We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird._

_And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours,_

_we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness_

_—and call it love."_

(Robert Fulghum)

 

* * *

 

 

"Wow, 'Sami. You must really like costumes."

Korra took out the set that caught her eye from its box and let out an impressed whistle. She was somewhere inside a large walk-in closet in a secret area of the Future Industries office building, perusing through rows and rows of costumes and accessories. After her discovery of Asami's costume-play hobby, swinging by the hidden gym had become a semi-regular thing for them. Semi-regular, because Korra wasn't as particular about scheduling as Asami, and because she'd never tell Asami when she would drop by, just to shake things up. Asami seemed to appreciate the random spontaneity of her visits, if the enthusiastic displays of affection were any indication, so it was all good.

"Korra? Did you say something?" called Asami from elsewhere in the closet. Her voice sounded distant and muffled from the several racks between them. "Where are you anyway?"

"Over here!" replied Korra without looking up from the costume she was fondling. She wasn't much for fancy clothes, so she wasn't sure why this particular set grabbed her attention the way it did. Probably because its design was reminiscent of Water Tribe nobility, or because it included a white wig permanently set in its elaborate hairstyle while still feeling silky soft under Korra's fingertips. Or perhaps Korra was simply fascinated by how it presented the illusion of being a six-layered fur-lined dress when it only had two layers of much lighter fabrics. She had opened up a flap to study its inner lining when a piece of paper slipped out from its folds. Just as she picked it up, Asami rounded down the corner and spotted her.

"There you are!" she said, bounding up to Korra. "Did you find any--GYAAH!" Asami rushed to snatch the costume away then stuff it away from sight. It was too late, however. Korra already knew her secret. Asami knew she knew because Korra was wearing a wide grin that could only be described as devilish.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Korra's teasing grin, if possible, grew even wider.

Asami narrowed her eyes at that, in an effort to appear suspecting and disapproving, and yet the deep red blush creeping on her cheeks gave away her embarrassment. She was shoulder-deep into a clothes rack, after all, shoving in the costume and perhaps hoping it would disappear if she buried it deep enough. "Shut up, Korra," she said.

"Because, you know," Korra continued, casually standing back with her hands behind her head. "This actually explains a lot."

"And I told you to shut up," Asami bit out, whirling around to glare at her partner. If it had been anyone else, they would meekly obey and never speak of this incident again, lest they incur the wrath of the fiery Sato president. But Korra knew Asami better than anyone, or at least well enough to know that Asami was rarely this flustered about anything. What made this instance special, then? Korra was no detective, but she was knowledgable enough about teasing out a thread of information until she had the whole story spool. So she laughed and said,

"Aw c'mon, 'Sami! Why would you want to hide this from me?"

Korra whipped out the piece of paper in front of her, which was actually a photograph taken from a play. A large prop of the moon hung in the background, as two figures held hands in front of it. One of them was a beefy teenage boy in Water Tribe clothes and a boomerang in hand. The other was a slender girl with slanted almond eyes and full lips. She was dressed in robes befitting a princess, her majestic hair falling off her shoulders in waves. At the bottom of the picture was a short description:

 

>  Nanaki and Asami -- Yue's Departure
> 
> "The Boy in the Iceberg"
> 
> Ember Island Players Youth Division
> 
> Falling Skies Theater 167-168 AG

Asami shrieked and lunged after the photo, but Korra easily sidestepped out of the way. Asami tried again and again, utilizing years of martial arts training, hands shooting out in lightning fast grabby punches, and feet sliding and sweeping all over the floor for a good solid foundation. Still no purchase, however. Asami may have the advantages of height and longer reach, but Korra was well-trained in the art of circling around an opponent called airbending footwork. She weaved in, out, and away from Asami's attacks, snickering every time she successfully kept the photograph out of reach, which only fueled Asami's frustration further.

"Give it here!" Asami grabbed Korra's right elbow, pulling it down so she could reach the photograph in her hand. Korra expertly twisted out of the hold though, and skipped off to a safe distance from Asami, giggling all the way.

"No way! I haven't got a good look yet!"

"Korra..." Grab, grab, swipe. Legsweep, jump-tackle.

Dodge, dodge, sidestep. Jump, twist away. "Wow, is this all makeup?"

"KORRA!"

At the growl of her name, Korra made the mistake of pausing her evasive movements. It was only for a split second, but it was enough. Asami launched herself at Korra, legs angled wide towards her. The next thing Korra knew, one of Asami's legs was on her face, the other on her chest, and there was some tension shooting up her left arm. Oh, and they were on the floor.

"Give it to me," Asami commanded, every bit the company president who gets her way.

"An armlock? Really?" Korra snorted, every bit the petulant child who gets her way. She wiggled her right hand, waving the photo in front of Asami as if to say 'come and get me!' in Bolin's ridiculous fibbing voice. Asami didn't try to take the bait however. Instead, she gripped Korra's left arm tighter and lifted her hips, increasing the tension on Korra's shoulder. It wasn't enough to hurt, but the message was clear. "Hey!"

"I'm serious, Korra." Asami tugged on Korra's arm again as a warning. "Give me the photo."

"Okay, fine." Korra flicked the photograph way over Asami's shoulder, cueing Asami to let go and scramble after it. Korra jumped to her feet then, massaging the joint of her shoulder while dusting off her pants and straightening her shirt with her free hand. "Geez, so you played Princess Yue in The Boy In the Iceberg. You didn't have to tackle me for finding out." At that moment her tone and demeanor was still casual and playful, but as soon as she turned to where Asami was, Korra froze in her tracks.

Asami was kneeling on the floor, her legs tucked under her. She was positioned in such a way that Korra could only see a profile view of her. She held the photograph with both hands, staring intently at it, her cheeks dark from the amount of blood pulsing under her skin. But her eyes, those piercing green irises that could see through Korra's heart, were dilated when Asami tilted her head to Korra's direction, a sinister smile playing on her lips.

Upon seeing that smile, something electric coursed down Korra's spine. Korra was no stranger to fear after everything she had been through, but this was _Asami_ in front of her-- she of the tinkering and the satomobile driving and sometimes the nice hand holding. It was easy to forget that underneath sweet unimposing Asami Sato was a vicious side that took down Equalists, street thugs, and Red Lotus members with a shock glove and a way of fighting that was swift and brutal in its efficiency. Beads of sweat started to form under Korra's bangs as her body seized up. This was bad and there was no escape. She could hardly move away when Asami approached her, and she could hardly resist when Asami laid a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back until she was somehow pressed against a wall.

"You still have a lot to learn about the world, Avatar. Some secrets are better left alone," said Asami, her voice low and husky, and her breath tickling Korra's ear with each word. Korra shivered despite the intense heat pooling within her, her mouth hanging slightly open from shock. "That's two for two now. You've been a bad bad girl, Korra."

Korra closed her mouth and swallowed the huge lump forming in her throat. Asami always got even, that much she knew, and Korra may had just royally pissed her off from too much teasing. She knew what was coming next, but it was left unsaid and the anticipation was killing her. But then there was also a niggling feeling, a tiny wriggly bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, Korra could get off easy after all...

*

Later that night, the most powerful person in the world snuggled into the bed she sometimes shared with her lover, rolling around under the covers and relishing the silky feel of cloth against her bare skin.

In the living room, Korra sulked alone on the couch.

 

 

**END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few ideas that didn't make the cut in "On The Dot", but were too fun to ignore. I reworked them into the scene above, which was supposed to be only about 500 words, but heh. 
> 
> And then all of a sudden my oneshot became a series. f(O_o)
> 
> And because I already have it in the works, here's a teaser for what might be the next chapter:
> 
> * * *
> 
> _The bed wasn't evil, no. As far as either of them knew, it didn't have any diabolical plans to destroy the peace and harmony of the world._


	3. Sleeping Arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry the wait was so long. I have no excuse. Stuff happened.
> 
> Anyway, Happy Korrasamiversary! Please enjoy this update!

 

It happened when they arrived at Republic City after their extended Spirit World getaway.

The night was quiet, still, and perhaps a little chilly in the areas along Yue Bay. Their ship had docked way past midnight and Korra didn't want to sneak into Air Temple Island. After all, there was a high risk of disturbing the sleep of anyone who lived there. Or catching an earful from Tenzin or Pema or maybe even Jinora for disappearing on them without notice, again. Neither did she want to cause a ruckus come morning when the disappeared Avatar would suddenly exit her empty-the-night-before room sporting a bed head and wearing pajamas as if she had been there the whole time. No, Air Temple Island would be too much too soon, so Korra decided she would have to find somewhere else to stay.

Asami had kindly offered the sleeping quarters she had in one of the Future Industries buildings that were still intact after the invasion. Korra, of course, took her up on that offer, and wisely didn't ask why Asami had built in a place to sleep within her workplace. There would be another time for that. At the moment, they were both too travel weary to do anything else besides sleep.

And so, that was how they ended up with a conundrum unlike anything they had ever faced before.

Korra stood ramrod straight in the middle of the room, legs tense and arms folded. Intensity came off her in waves as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. To her right, Asami was in a similar pose, although she had one hand pinching and twisting her lower lip as she pondered the situation at hand.

In front of them was a bed.

The bed wasn't evil, no. As far as either of them knew, it didn't have any diabolical plans to destroy the peace and harmony of the world. One could never be too certain, however, so they continued to stare, study, and glare until it confessed guilty of seducing people into its fluffy comforts. But honestly, the bed seemed completely ordinary, if not a bit on the cozier side. It had a standard twin-sized mattress on a hard wood four-poster with soft cotton sheets, eider-goose down pillows, and maybe even an Asami Sato guarantee of a good night's sleep stamped somewhere. No, its prowess in enticing people into slumber wasn't the issue here.

Finally, Korra decided to break the silence.

"Maybe I should just take the couch."

In response, Asami vehemently shook her head.

"Don't be silly. There's more than enough space here."

Korra raised an eyebrow towards Asami, before returning her gaze to the bed. True, it was wide enough to accommodate her even if she slept spreadeagled, but it was still only enough for one person. Surely, Asami wasn't thinking of taking the couch herself? That would be ridiculous. "This is your place, and _this_ is your bed. I'm not taking it away from you."

"Of course not," snorted Asami, rolling her eyes then flicking her hair away from her face. "You're sleeping with me."

Upon hearing those words, Korra's brain froze. That lasted for about three seconds before it jumped into hyperdrive. Memories long forgotten and fairly recent flashed before her eyes: A night in the dark underbelly of Republic City, sleeping beside each other on sheets too thin to be called cots. Rooming in various places all over the world-- the South Pole, Ba Sing Se, the airship, Zaofu. Forgoing bed rolls in the Spirit World in favor of grass bed au naturel...

And then fantasies she had once buried in the deepest recesses of her mind clawed their way back into the surface: Clinging to each other under walrus-bear furs, exchanging body heat to keep the polar frost at bay. The constant hum of the airship drowned out by thumps and moans and delighted gasps. The sight of that fair skin, naked on a bed of cerise blossoms and bathed in the golden light of the new portal...

"I meant, like, _sleeping._ " Asami's voice was speaking to her, Korra knew, but it seemed so far away. "You know, side by side. Just on the same bed."

"Yeah, I know," Korra absently replied as her mind continued to reel. Maybe some drool was involved.

Asami tapped Korra on the shoulder about four times, then shrugged when she got no response. She was used to watching over Korra in various meditative states, so she figured this might be just another of those spontaneous Avatar trances or something. She headed for the bed and lifted up the covers off one side so she could slip in. "You could keep standing there all night if you like, but I need to crash. Is the right side okay with you?"

"Right?" For a moment, Korra looked at her quizzically. Then the words started to trickle in through the haze of her addled mind, momentarily shaking her out of the stupor. She hadn't figured out how to properly work her tongue yet, so all she stuttered out was, "Right. Yes. Bed. _Sleep,_ " as she fumbled with the sheets on her side of the bed.

Asami could only shake her head and chuckle good-naturedly at that. "Good night, Korra."

Korra slowly lowered herself on the mattress, letting out a content sigh as she sank a good few centimeters into it. It was softer than she had imagined, reminding her a little of Naga's fur, only less bony and less wriggly. It would've been the perfect bed for a perfect night's sleep, except that she could hardly move into a more comfortable position. Her left arm was already in dangerous territory as it was, dangling off the edge of the bed. There was some space to her right, but she didn't want to encroach on Asami's personal space. So instead, she stiffly laid on her back, hyperaware of every small adjustment Asami made to her own sleeping position. Turn and toss a little here, fluff the pillow a little there. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, in other words.

It wasn't that they hadn't been this physically close before. Once or twice, in the Spirit World, they had fallen asleep tangled in one another. But then, lying on the ground under a starless sky was quite different than lying on the same bed, bare shoulder brushing against silk nightgown and feeling the heat radiating off each other's skin.

Korra rolled to her left, thinking that lying on her side would reduce the risk of falling off. She didn't anticipate that slight movement pulling all the blankets to her side, though. Asami groaned and tugged the covers back to her, and poor Korra, who was still tangled in its folds, got pulled along with it, blankets twisting around her until her arms were pinned tightly to her sides and her back was pressed against Asami's. Korra tried to put some space between them, but her singular attempt to move away ended up with her butt wiggling against, well, Asami's butt. That put a stopper to that idea.

And thus, the mighty Avatar Korra was trapped. Perhaps the bed was evil after all.

The problem remained, however: there were two people in a space meant for one. Well, solving problems was part of Korra's job and life-calling, so...

"'Sami?" Korra mumbled, spitting out the blanket getting into her mouth. She had a brilliant idea that could make the rest of the night comfortable for the both of them, but she wasn't sure if she could get the words out. Not because of the blanket, mind, but rather because the very thought of it made her temples throb from too much heat going to her head. "D'you, er... Would you mind if we... um, you know..."

"Whassit, Korra?"

"Can weeeeeyaaaaah--" _C'mon work, tongue! Work!_ "--spoon?"

For a moment that could be anywhere between two heartbeats and two lifetimes, everything became still. Even the constant rhythm of breathing was absent in that moment. Korra should know. Their bodies were so pressed against each other, that if either one of them moved even the slightest, the other could feel every bit of it. So when Asami finally rasped in a breath through her teeth, Korra clearly felt the tension seizing her shoulders.

"Y-you mean like...?"

"I-If it's okay?"

They spoke in hushed tones, barely audible over the din of a pounding heart—Asami's or her own, Korra wasn't certain. Asami shifted in place, rearranging the blanket around them, and then rolling over to drape an arm around Korra's waist, pulling her close to keep the night's chill at bay. Korra relaxed into the embrace and closed her eyes, reveling in their shared warmth and the softness pressed against her back.

Wait.

Korra's body instinctively tensed up. The softness was pressing against her shoulder blades specifically, and that could only mean one thing—well, two things actually. Two very round things. At that realization, Korra's body heat rose to uncomfortable levels and she started to squirm in place.

"Stop moving around," Asami seemed to say, but her words slurred together, sounding closer to _stah-movn-ron_. She tried to swat Korra a few times too, but only managed a light pat on the arm.

"I can't help it," Korra replied. "Your, uh, your... hair is tickling my nape. Yeah." But as soon as those words left her lips, she silently offered a prayer to the Spirits-That-Are that Asami wouldn’t notice the fib.

"Neither of us will get any sleep like this," grumbled Asami as she rolled over again, her back towards Korra this time. "Turn around. You'll have to be the big spoon, funnily enough."

"Hey, I’m not that short!" As she wiggled into position, Korra tossed a corner of the blanket at Asami who, even through the heavy sleepiness, still managed a teasing grin.

Soon, they settled into whatever felt the most comfortable—legs entangling with the covers and with each other's, Korra's arms wrapping around Asami's waist as if they had always belonged there. Their bodies fitted perfectly together, which didn't surprise Korra at all. What did surprise her, however, was how thin Asami's frame felt in her embrace, almost as if the slightest squeeze could break her.

Asami was hardly fragile of course, she knew. So she pulled that thin frame closer, breathing in the faint scent of engine grease, sea winds, and Fire Nation spice—an oddly pleasant mix that was distinctly _Asami_. Then and there, Korra decided snuggling in bed was her new favorite thing.

_I could get used to this._

 

 

**END.**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Comments are always welcome.


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